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Recently, my niece and I saw the new live-action Beauty and the Beast. We, of course, loved it!! For her 10th birthday, I really wanted to get her a rose under a bell jar, like in the movie. I searched for some, but there are none being mass-produced or sold by any retailer. The only ones I found were on Etsy, and, while beautiful, they were a bit more expensive than I was hoping for. As usually happens when I discover things that are too expensive, I thought to myself “I could totally do that!” And, so can you!

Supplies

Large Cloche/Bell Jar with wood base – $15. I found mine at Michael’s. It was $30, but I had a half-off coupon from the Michael’s app

Small wood balls or spools to add some height to the jar – $3.16. I set the jar on a few different options before choosing my favorite. You’ll want something tall enough to hide the battery pack under the jar. The ones I found were 79 cents apiece.

Fake Rose – $5. Make sure it is a size that looks good under the jar. Michael’s had a gorgeous large fake rose, but it was too big. I ended up going with a slightly less gorgeous (but still pretty) one from JoAnn’s that fit better.

Fake Rose Petals – $1. Rather than buying another $5 fake flower to tear apart for petals, I picked up one from Dollar Tree. The flower itself wasn’t nice at all, but since I was just pulling petals off, it worked perfect! You can also find fake rose petals in the wedding section of most craft stores, but, again, why pay the extra money?

Battery-powered LED string lights – $0. These, I already owned. (I have a few of them actually.) Make sure you get the LED lights on a wire string so they are easy to bend – and, as LED’s, they will not get too hot. You can find these in craft stores, or on Amazon for cheap, like under $10. For a bit more, you can get them with a remote control too. 6 feet is plenty long enough for this purpose.

Floral Tape – $1.50. Just basic green floral tape

Wood stain, paint brush – $0. I used a dark stain that I had left over from a previous project, as the base of the jar was already stained, and the wood spools were unstained. I prefer a foam brush for applying stain.

Spray or brush-on polyurethane to finish the wood – $0. I already had a satin spray on-hand, but glossy is a good option too!

My Project Total: $25.66

Tools

Wire cutter to cut the fake rose down to size.

Latex Gloves. Stain is awful to try to get off your hands!

Super glue, or other fast-acting adhesive. This is for gluing the lights in place around the rose petals. I found super glue did discolor the fake rose a bit, but I’m not sure any glue would behave any differently. If you have other options, go for it. I’d avoid hot glue for this purpose, however, as the petals are very thin and you’ll burn yourself. As it was, I got my fingers stuck with the super glue a few times.

Acetone, or other solvent. To un-stick your fingers after using the super glue! And to remove stain from your hands/arms/face (depending on how aggressive you are with your staining!)

E6000 or wood glue. This is to attach the spools to the base. Neither are fast-acting adhesives, so be sure to give yourself some time for the glue to cure.

Hot glue gun. To glue the rose petals and lights in place on the base of the jar.

Handheld drill with drill bits. Best to have a few drill bits that are around the same size as the diameter of the fake rose. More below

The one bathroom in my house is very small – 5 feet by 8 feet small. The previous owners had put in a small vanity and sink to allow for more storage. But the bulky thing took up way too much space and made the bathroom seem even more cramped. I knew the bathroom needed to be updated, and I needed a smaller sink.

I looked at pedestal sinks first. While they are much more compact, they do not afford for any storage space. While wandering a couple of local bathroom showrooms, I discovered console sinks. While the footprint is a bit larger than a pedestal sink, the open legs make it feel more open, and many have an open shelf underneath that allows for storage. Of course, I was finding that console sinks are a little pricey. And, as often happens, I found myself thinking, “I could make that!” And so I did!

Finding the perfect sink basinI love used building supply stores. In Seattle, we’re lucky enough to have a few of them. Among all the cool old light fixtures and vintage décor, there always seem to be a large number of sinks and bathroom supplies there. I knew I needed just the basin, and that it needed to have a flat bottom. I also measured the area I wanted to install it in so I knew the widest the sink could be.

I hit the jackpot at my favorite second-hand building store – Earthwise in South Seattle. There was a beautiful sink basin that was missing it’s pedestal, and so was on sale for $35. Flat bottom, perfect size, I was in love!

This year’s Oscars has again made the news for the extravagant gift bags, boasting $168,000 of giveaways. Gifts include an $800 candy buffet, a “glamping” vacation, makeup, furniture, liposuction and even a vibrator! While the rest of us will likely never be given a prize quite so grandiose, you can put together your own glamorous gift bag for far less than $168k – even less than $5 – with inexpensive, and even FREE items that will make your friends feel extravagant too!

The gift bags I made were actually made for my Singles Awareness Day Party – a Valentine’s Day alternative for my wonderful single girlfriends (and one married gal whose husband was ecstatic to get out of V-day responsibilities). But you can create these for your next Oscar party, bridal shower, baby shower, or any other gathering. These gifts turned out better than I could have ever hoped for! Here’s how I did it:

Yeah, I know. Resolutions are so last year… Ha! In all honesty, I don’t really believe in making resolutions. I don’t know of anyone who makes a resolution and actually keeps it. Nearly everyone fails by mid-January anyway and then just gives up. I think it’s better to identify things in your life you want to do and just work at doing them. Set dates if you want, turn them into goals to meet, however you want, but I promise I won’t judge if you don’t get to everything. Of course, I think you should. And please, share your stories with me! I’d love to hear which of these ideas you take to heart.

One last note: this list is dedicated to all my single ladies, but is really applicable to everyone.

1. Explore a local ‘hood. Have you ever spent time wandering the downtown area of your local town? Ever thought about actually stopping in one of those towns you drive past on the way to somewhere else? Do it! You might discover your new favorite restaurant. Or find the perfect gift. Or even meet some new friends.

3. Make something with your own hands. Cook a fantastic meal from scratch. Sew a decorative pillow. Pinterest is full of great ideas – find one that interests you and make it!

4. Travel somewhere you’ve never been. Go as close as the next state over, or travel to a distant land. Take in the scenery, marvel at the architecture, learn about the culture. However you do it, get out there and see the world!

I can’t help it, I LOVE watching Miss America. I used to watch it with my sister and my dad growing up – we’d make fun of the contestants and the stupid things that are said, and the inevitable blunders. I know, it’s mean, but was a great bonding experience. As an adult I continue to watch and taunt from my living room. This year, after a full day of watching football, I was settled into my comfy chair and was going to watch with little fanfare. Until one golden nugget from Miss Texas (I think, camera cut off the sash), and decided this year warrants a live blog. So, here goes:

Pre-Show

8:53pm – “This sounds a little odd, but right before I go out, I think of puppies and kittens because it makes me happy inside.” No dear, doesn’t sound odd at all….

The past year and half or so, I’ve been trying to pursue you through online dating. It’s not easy, let me tell you. While I’ve had a few good dates, and made a friend or two, I’ve also been abducted (true story), had a guy who thought it’d be funny to run over baby bunnies with a lawnmower (yeah, seriously), and the guy who said he was ‘about average’, but couldn’t fit into the front seat of my car. But the one thing that annoys me the most are the ridiculous things you men think are appropriate for profile photos. The photos are the first area of your profile that a woman will look at, which means they are the most important for a first impression. And yet, I find your photos as a whole to be serious lacking.

With that in mind, here is my top ten list of how to make the best impression with your photos:

10.Do not include photos of yourself with all of your ridiculously hot guy friends. Unless it is clear that you are the hottest. But even then, it is always best to not leave a girl wondering if your friends are single.

9.Do not take a photo looking up your nose. This is the most unflattering angle. This easily adds 10-20 pounds to your face. And, besides, a woman really has no need to know how many boogers are in your nose. Your photos should always be straight on, or slightly above looking down, which is the most flattering angle.

8. Have more than one photo! One picture is not enough. Show your interests, what you like to do, hanging out with your kids (if you have them) or doing something adventurous.

7.Wear clothes in your photos! (I’m leaving out the obvious – you know you shouldn’t send pictures of your junk to a lady unless she asks. We don’t wanna see it.) I’m talking the less obvious rule that there is no way to make shirtless photos not look douchy. Especially if you’re on a boat!

6.Photos from 10 years ago are off limits. Don’t make us guess which photo is really you.

5.Your primary profile picture should be your best picture. Not the one of you wearing a hat with half your face in shadow. Not some weird selfie in your car (why do men do this?!). Not the photo of last new years after you’d had 6 drinks and look like hell.

Upholstery is one of those DIY projects that can be really easy or really tough! I’ve done a couple chairs (one here), one with help from an upholstery class. I have a recliner I’d love to reupholster, but I am definitely not experienced enough to attempt it. However, there are some very simple upholstery projects that require no more than a staple gun, glue gun and some scissors – these include most dining room chairs, benches and footstools. These are the upholstery projects I – and you – can do!

Awhile back, I picked up this ugly footstool at a thrift shop for $5. I was drawn to it because the lid opens to reveal storage – reminded me of a mini piano bench. And the stool itself was in great shape – the wood was not scratched, the hinges worked perfectly, and it really seemed like it had never been used. (Probably because it was ugly!)

I had some leftover faux fur from a cape and muffs I had made for a friend’s wedding. I knew the fur would be perfect for this little bench that was just screaming for a girly makeover.

Materials

Faux fur or other fabric – enough to cover with a couple inches overhang on each side to staple down

Step One: Prep Remove the hinges and all fabric from the lid. Determine if the padding from the lid is in good enough condition to reuse. Clean the wood with TSP or similar cleaner. Sand wood with fine grit sandpaper to scuff up any stain or paint.

Step Two: PrimerPrimer is key, especially if there was an existing finish on the bench. I had plenty of leftover primer from other projects. You can also use a paint/primer combo – but if you do, I recommend a little heavier sanding first to get through the existing finish. Coat the body, legs, and inside the storage area with primer. Odds are, the legs of the bench unscrew like mine did. I unscrewed them to apply the primer and paint to the body and then loosely screwed the legs back in to paint and primer those also. This keeps primer and pain from gunking up around the tops of the legs.

Step Three: PaintAgain, I had some leftover white paint from other projects. For the pink, I went to Lowes and got a $3 sample paint in a darker pink. My bench had a groove running along the bottom edge. This was perfect for me to paint pink. If you don’t have any such details, you can always use painters tape to create a stripe. Or just keep it solid.

For the legs, I wanted to do an ombre pink, starting darker at the bottom of the legs, moving lighter as I went up. I used a couple paper plates to mix the dark pink with the white to blend three shades of pink. Starting with the lightest shade, I painted the entire leg. When that dried, I started a third of the way down or so with the medium pink paint and a sponge brush, blending in the medium pink. Then, after that dried, I sponged on the dark pink. It turned out as good as I had hoped.

Step Four: Cover with fabricCut out the fabric you’re using to cover the top of the bench. Make sure you leave enough overhang on each side to fold over and staple down. If you are using faux fur as I did, there is a definite trick to cutting the fur without making a huge mess. DO NOT USE SCISSORS! Use a razor blade or knife to the back of the fur to cut just the backing. (see here for more instruction). Once you’ve cut to size, put the padding between the lid and the cover. Wrap the cover fabric around and staple down to the lid. I found, with the fur, that I did have to trim the fur a little shorter to have the staples stick better. Also, with thicker fabric, you may need to trim out the corners for them to lay a little flatter.

Step Five: Finish To make the inside of the lid a little more appealing, I covered the center with white fleece. I trimmed the fur so that the fleece laid flatter, and then used a glue gun to attach it to the underside of the lid. Then, screwed the hinges back on and DONE!

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I last posted. I’ve thought about it a lot, but just never sat down to write. Had a few hosting issues along the way, too. But I’m back!

So, how was your 2013? Mine was pretty good! I actually did a lot of the things I set out to do the beginning of 2013. Here are the highlights:

I finished remodeling my kitchen – March 2013

I remodeled my bathroom (with tons of help from dad) – December 2013

I visited a new place I’d never been to: Alaska – August 2013

I went paragliding of the edge of a mountain – August 2013

I joined an online dating service and went on a few dates and met good peeps.

I even ate new vegetables!

Of course, there are a number of things I said I’d do that I didn’t do. I didn’t lose those 10lbs in 2013, although I’m working on it now. I didn’t get my PM certification, but am working on that too. I kept my house clean, but only in between remodeling projects. And I still have shows on my DVR from 2012. But, hey, you can’t keep all your resolutions, right? What would you resolve to do the next year?

I have no real resolutions this year. I hope to travel more. I hope to get in better shape. I hope to meet a special someone. And, I hope to spend a little more time with my blog. Have a few ideas lined up in my head – is there anything you want to see?

Ok, so maybe the appearance of your knife block isn’t the biggest concern you have. It wasn’t mine either. But, after renovating the kitchen, having that ugly lump of wood on my beautiful new countertops was just a bummer. I’ve been wanting to experiment with chalkboard paint, and decided this was the perfect way to try it out!

What you need

A wooden knife block. If you don’t have one already, every thrift shop in the country has a few on hand. Pick one that matches the knives you have – or pick knives to fit the block!PrimerChalkboard paint – preferably spray paintChalk

Instructions

First, thoroughly clean the knife block. If you have TSP, this is best, as it will remove any grease stains. Let it dry.

If your knife block has a magnet in the back for extra knives (mine did), you should cover the magnet with masking or painter’s tape.

Coat the block with the primer. If you’re using a spray primer, I would put two to three coats on. If you’re brushing it on, one coat should be sufficient. Follow the instructions to ensure sufficient dry time.

Once your primer is dry, spray on the chalkboard paint! I do recommend the spray just because knife blocks are such odd surfaces, with all the holes. The spray will just coat easier. But feel free to brush it on also.

With a spray, you’ll need to do 3-4 coats. It is always best to do very thin coats with the spray, as it can easily drip or run down the sides.

Let the paint dry completely. Remove the tape, if you used it. Decorate the sides with chalk, put the knives back in and voila! A fun update to your kitchen counter!

(Oh, and yes, I did write “Caution! Sharp!” on the knife block. I need reminders like those!)

A few weeks back, a coworker of mine, Kelly, invited me to join her and a friend for speed dating. Honestly, I didn’t think speed dating was actually real. I thought it was just something they did in movies. You say speed dating, I think 40 Year Old Virgin:

This is what speed dating is all about

But despite that, I have committed to trying new things, and this actually sounded like fun. And then our coworker Robert decided to join us too. We tried to tell him that he’d be going in with two less options if he joined us (he already has our numbers and we’re not interested!), but that was ok. Then, another team member suggested we needed to have questions prepared. I was not even thinking about that! A quick shout-out to my Facebook friends, and I had some questions prepared (more on that later). Kelly and I also talked a bit about how we should probably check in throughout the night and make sure we didn’t write down the same names. Dating the same guy could be awkward. We decided on rock/paper/scissors as the deciding factor.